


is it too much to ask for?

by williamwheeler



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: M/M, but it takes place in 1985, he wants to ask will to the snowball but is scared of his feelings, henclair and elmax are featured in this too!!, i wrote this long before season 3 came out, if that makes any sense, mike is struggling w internalized homophobia, nancy is a good sister
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2019-08-10
Packaged: 2020-08-10 01:26:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20127085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/williamwheeler/pseuds/williamwheeler
Summary: mike wants to take will to the snowball, but he’s afraid of his feelings.





	1. 2 am thoughts

**Author's Note:**

> hey!! so basically i found this rlly old fic and decided to continue it!! i started writing this before season 3 came out,, so just pretend season 3 didn’t happen here lol. this will probs have multiple chapters!!

> As 1985 was coming to a close, the snow ball was the one thing on the party’s mind. Considering that compared to last year’s, where everyone was still just barely beginning their recovery after the mind flayer and Will’s possession, this one had them worried more about who they were going to dance with and what they were going to wear.
> 
> Mike was more worried about the former.
> 
> A week or so after the snow ball in ‘84, Mike and El discovered that their relationship was built off of infatuation. They still knew they had a deep connection and love for eachother, but it wasn’t in the way they thought. El wasn’t ready to face the commitment of a relationship at the time when she still barely knew how to read, and Mike was struggling with… other things.
> 
> It started when he was awake at 2 am, unable to keep his eyes closed long enough before another thought flashed in his mind. He couldn’t stop thinking about how he seemed to be developing romantic feelings towards… Will? A boy? _ Aren’t boys not supposed to like other boys? _
> 
> _ You’re such a freak Mike. _
> 
> _ Gross. _
> 
> _ Imagine if the people from school knew about this. _
> 
> He wasn’t sure when he started crying, but suddenly tears were coating his cheeks and blurring his vision. He couldn’t take it anymore. 
> 
> Crawling out of his bed and out of his room, he quietly entered Nancy’s. He just needed someone to talk to.
> 
> Nancy seemed to still be awake too, studying, Mike supposed. He wished she would try to get better sleep. But that wasn’t important right now.
> 
> Concern washed over her face when she saw Mike’s crumple. He didn’t even know why he started crying again, he hadn’t even said anything. All of a sudden Nancy was wrapping him in her arms in comfort, not pressuring him to talk, which Mike appreciated. When he gained his composure, he took a deep breath and tried to gather the words. 
> 
> “I found something out about myself and I- I don’t think it’s good. I feel like a freak. I’m so scared I don’t know what’s wrong with me I’m sorry.” The floodgates opened yet again, it just seemed like Mike couldn’t control it at all tonight. Every word was causing more tears to spill.
> 
> “What do you mean? What did you find out?” She asked, she didn’t seem to believe that it could be _ that _ bad, which later on Mike finds out isn’t. But in that moment he felt like he was committing a crime. 
> 
> “I like girls. I think they’re pretty and I don’t see an issue with dating one b-but… I’ve started to feel that way about Will. I don’t know what that means but I know it’s wrong and I don’t know what to do.” The lump in his throat was starting to hurt. He never cried this much in his life. Except for maybe when El disappeared. He couldn’t be too sure.
> 
> “Mike… there’s nothing wrong with liking other boys. No matter what other people say. Trust me, if you want to be in a relationship with another boy that’s normal and okay!” Nancy said softly.
> 
> Mike shook his head, for some reason, maybe because his brain was having trouble comprehending the information being given to him. Could he really be in love with Will? 
> 
> Nancy sighed, running her fingers through Mike’s hair, trying to calm him down. Mike melted into her with the feeling, and he felt a pang of guilt for all the fighting and bickering he’s had with Nancy, because he could tell she really cared about him. 
> 
> “But.. but everyone says boys liking boys is wrong?” His voice was still shaken and he wanted to roll his eyes for not toughing it out. Why the _ hell _ was he crying so much?
> 
> Nancy continued rubbing Mike’s hair as she spoke. “Mike, people just… aren’t educated enough. Society has taught all of us that you can only like people of the opposite gender. But listen to me.” She looked at him, sternly, to show that she was serious. “There’s absolutely nothing wrong with you. You like boys? That’s fine! Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. And I’m sure Will likes you too, he would be missing out if he didn’t.” She said, and Mike was still crying, but he nodded.
> 
> Nancy’s comforting words allowed him to get a good night’s rest as a thought about how he was going to ask Will to the Snow Ball. There had to be a way.


	2. coming out

On Saturday afternoon, about 5 days before the Snow Ball, Mike had gathered the party together in Mike’s basement. He convinced himself that he was going to tell them about the fact that he liked boys. It felt like too big of a situation to keep to himself. Of course, he wasn’t going to mention the fact that he liked Will. Not yet at least.

Mike stood by the stairs as the rest of the party sat on the couch and in chairs, awaiting Mike’s discussion. Mike’s heart was pounding and his hands were oddly shakey. Deep down, he knew they wouldn’t judge him. He even took notice of Max and Eleven sharing many glances that were more than friendly with eachother, so _ why _should he be worried? None of the party would mind. But for some reason he couldn’t shake the nervousness filling his entire body. What if Will didn’t wanna be his friend anymore? What if Will didn’t even like boys and his plan to ask him to the dance was for nothing?

Mike sighed. He had to tell them, anyway. _ It’s going to be fine, _he thought. 

“Look, this is something about myself that I’ve been hiding, because I was scared. But I really hope you guys don’t think anything different of me.” he was fiddling with his hands and his eyes were glued to the floor, looking anywhere but his friends.

“I like boys. Like… like in a romantic way. I like girls too, but I think I like boys more?” his voice got quieter as the sentence continued. When he looked up, the party appeared slightly shocked, and Will had... tears forming in his eyes?

Before he knew it, Will was running up to him and wrapping him in a tight hug. Mike hugged back, and took in the feeling of his crush’s warmth. 

All Will said was “Me too”.


	3. i tell myself that i cant hold out forever

It was a Monday, after school. Will and Mike were hanging out in Will’s living room playing Super Mario bros. Mike had been wanting to play it with Will since it came out and he finally remembered to bring it to Will’s place. Mike was sitting on the floor next to Will, watching as he focused intently on the game. Mike would never admit it, but he thought his determination was kind of cute.

“Mike? I said it’s your turn”. Will nudged his arm, and Mike got out of his daze. He embarassingly nodded and took the controller. He saw Will smirk in the corner of his eye, but he tried to put all of his focus on the game to avoid any further embarrassment.

They eventually gave up on Mario after both boys failed at beating one of the levels, and ended up sitting in Will’s room while Mike read a comic book and Will drew. “Can’t Fight This Feeling” was playing quietly on Will’s stereo. Mike blushed as this was always one of the songs that reminded him of his feelings for Will when he heard it, but he didn’t want to cause any trouble by turning the song off.

But, part of Mike thought that now could be a perfect time to ask Will to the dance. He glanced over at Will as he sketched quietly at his desk. He appeared to be drawing the party’s D&D characters, which made Mike grin.

“Hey Will?” Mike asked softly. That nervous feeling was back again, and Mike wished he could just confess to this without nearly having a panic attack.

“Yeah?” Will replied, not looking away from his drawing, but still sounding interested.

Mike was fidgeting with the pages of his comic book, gliding his fingers across them. Fidgeting with things was something Mike always did, but it worsened when he was nervous or trying to avoid a topic.

“You know how I said I liked boys the other day?” Will looked up and turned around then, setting his pencil down and resting his arm of the back of his chair. “Yeah, what about it?” He asked in that gentle voice that made Mike swoon. Mike set his comic book down, resting his hands on his lap.

“I like you, Will. Like- like as more than a friend.” Mike wasn’t sure how he had the courage to continue making eye contact with Will, let alone confess to his feelings. “And I was wondering if you would be my date to the Snow Ball.” He smiled slightly, but his hands were shaking so bad. He was terrified of rejection.

Will covered his face with his hands, trying to hide his blush, and it was fucking _ adorable. _He was smiling, his eyes gleaming, as he stood up from his chair and sat on the side of the bed. He rested his hand on Mike’s, similar to how Mike did last year.

“Of course I will. I like you too Mikey”. Will giggled as he looked into Mike’s eyes.

Saying that Mike’s heart exploded was an understatement. Mike felt like his whole world was in slow motion and he couldn’t keep a smile off of his face no matter how hard he tried. This was something that Mike daydreamed about, but never thought would happen in real life.

“So… what does this make us?” Mike questioned, rubbing his thumb across Will’s hand.

“Can we be boyfriends? If- if that’s okay with you, of course.” Will replied shyly, intertwining his hand with Mike’s. Mike caressed Will’s cheek, kissing him on the forehead.

“Of course”.


	4. you must be an angel

The Snow Ball was in 1 day, and Mike was panicking, slightly.

He wanted to dance with Will at the Snow Ball. He wanted to hold his hand and kiss him under the colorful lights. He wanted to show the world that Will was his.

But he couldn’t stop thinking about… other people. He knew it would be dangerous for two boys to dance together in public, and he didn’t want Will to get hurt.

“Mike, did you OD over there?” Will said quietly, chuckling slightly. They were in Mike’s bed, Will leaning his head on the other boy’s shoulder, soft music playing throughout the room. Today was one of the rare days where none of Mike’s family was home. Where Mike and Will could be themselves without fear of someone barging into Mike’s room and catching them. 

Mike turned to look at Will. He had a slight smile playing the corners of his lips, and his hazel eyes had a softness in them that was reserved for Mike and Mike only. He was wearing one of Mike’s sweaters that he had “accidentally” left at Will’s house. It was slightly big on him, but Mike thought it looked cute on his small figure. 

Mike was so in love with this boy.

“Yeah, sorry. Just thinking.” He reassured Will, grabbing his hands and rubbing circles across his finger tips. 

“Whatcha thinking about?” Will asked again, nuzzling into Mike’s shoulder, his arms wrapping around the boy’s waist. Mike sighed softly at the touch.

“It’s just, I want to dance with you at the Snow Ball, but I’ve been thinking about how… people will- people will react. Yknow? Like what if it’s not safe? And it’s not t-that I’m ashamed to dance with you! I just don’t want you to get hurt.” Mike frowned at the fact that people couldn’t go on with their lives knowing that two boys or two girls were happy and in love. Why did it matter to them? They weren’t bothering anyone by merely existing. He wished he could hold Will’s hand in public without risking getting jumped. He wished he could tell everyone that Will was  _ his.  _ Finally, after years of heartache and wishing and praying for his feelings to go away. Pining and stolen glances and crying over the fact that he liked Will. Will was all his, and it pained him to think that the rest of the world wouldn’t get to know it. 

Will sighed, his hand now on Mike’s neck. 

“That’s true, it’s pretty risky. Hm…” He seemed to be lost in thought, contemplating something. 

“Honestly, who cares what people think? I want to dance with you and I’m not afraid to show it. Our friends will be there, and they won’t let us get hurt. I love you and want to have this night with you, Mike.” Will looked slightly shocked at the fact that he let the words  _ I love you  _ slip out. 

Mike gazed at Will, admiring him. He couldn’t keep the smile off of his face. Will loved him, and Mike loved Will, and that’s how it always was. Mike and Will. Two best friends. Two lovers. Soulmates.

“I love you too.” Mike couldn’t help himself as he put his hands on Will’s cheek, his thumb caressing his jaw as he leaned in. The kiss was short, as both boys were inexperienced, but Will pressed his lips to Mike’s again, allowing the kiss to go on for longer. 

The two boys sat in Mike’s room for the rest of the afternoon, laughing and kissing, ready to face the world at the Snow Ball. 


	5. mike and will.

“Out of Touch” was blaring through the speakers of the Hawkins High gym as Mike, Dustin, El, Lucas, and Max sat at one of the many tables. Will hadn’t arrived yet as his mom was probably being over precautious and taking forever to bring him to the school. 

Mike was tapping his foot impatiently, leaning forward and crossing his arms across his torso self consciously. He didn’t know why, his Mom had picked out his suit for him. A light blue tux and a bow tie, and all of his friends said he looked good in it. But here, in the gym, Mike was anxious about what Will would think of him.

Mike was taken out of his thoughts when he noticed El and Max holding hands, walking out to the dance floor without a care in their eyes. Max kissed El’s hand as she said something indistinctly. Mike smiled, El looked the most happy she had been in a long time. It’s what she deserved after everything she had gone through. 

Mike turned to comment about how happy he was for El and Max when he noticed Lucas and Dustin had left the table, presumably to the dance floor or to get drinks. Mike noted that this was the second time in a row that he pathetically sat alone at the Snow Ball, waiting for his date. 

He was getting a slight sense of deja vu, however this time he felt more anxious as he knew that any minute now the love of his life was going to walk through the door. What if people stared at them or Mike said the wrong thing? He thought about what Will had said, how they shouldn’t worry about other people. And he knew Will was right, but that didn’t stop him from panicking slightly. He brushed his hair into place and straightened his tie, trying to make himself look presentable considering Will was going to be there soon.

As if on cue, Mike heard the door open and in walked Will. He felt the world stop spinning as he watched Will glance around the room, searching for Mike. He was wearing a bow tie similar to Mike’s, a red dress shirt and black pants. And Mike felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. The purple and blue lights reflecting on his boyfriend made his heart stop. He realized he had been staring, and actually stood up from his seat, walking up to Will.

Mike caught Will’s eye, the two boys staring at eachother, lovestruck, and the other boy looked about as in awe as Mike did when Will walked in. 

“You look… amazing.” Will said, breathless, when Mike walked up to him. Mike almost felt like crying right then and there from all the love he felt for Will. But he quickly cleared his throat, his cheeks red.

Mike gave Will a toothy grin, taking his hand in his. “So do you, my love.” He replied, putting a dramatic emphasis on the last part. Will giggled and Mike almost fainted because of how cute it was. Some other cheesy love song that Mike couldn’t name was playing as Will wrapped his arms around Mike’s neck, with Mike’s hands on his waist. And for a while, it was peaceful, seeing Will so up close, so happy. But Mike glanced around him and noticed two boys pointing and laughing, on the other side of them a girl and her group of friends were looking at them and whispering. Mike felt his heart beating throughout his body and his hands got clammy. _ They’re all staring. They all can see what a freak I am. _

Mike hadn’t realized his eyes were glassy and that he was about to cry. Without realizing what he was doing, he sprinted out of the gym and into the empty hallway of the the school, sitting in front of a locker. He put his head in his knees as he cried, regretting the fact that he ruined his night with Will because of his anxiety. Because of some stupid fucking kids. He was sure Will wasn’t going to want to dance with him anymore after he bailed, and he didn’t blame him.

He felt a hand tap his shoulder, and he looked up, Will kneeling in front of him, concern in his features.

“What’s wrong, babe?” He asked in the softest tone Mike had ever heard, and he flushed a bit at the nickname. Mike wiped his eyes as Will sat next to him, resting his head on the taller boy’s shoulder.

“I just- I saw everyone staring at us and I got scared. I’m sorry for ruining our moment.” Mike said, looking back at Will apologetically.

Will pulled Mike into a hug, running his fingers through Mike’s curls. He pressed a kiss to Mike’s cheek as a rested his face on Mike’s shoulder.

“I understand, Mikey. The stares, the talk, what people say. It can get really scary. But that doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter what they think. Look at me.” He grabbed Mike’s face with his hands, using his thumbs to wipe the tears off of his cheeks.

“I love you, and I don’t care who knows it. I don’t care what other people think. Dancing with you made me happy- no- _ you _make me happy. Okay? A couple random kids aren’t going to change that.” 

Mike didn’t know how Will did it. How Will was so _ perfect. _So kind, so understanding. How he got so lucky to be able to end up with this boy. This amazing boy who had been through hell and back, and still remained the same sweet kid he had been before everything happened. He had so much love in his heart for him that he couldn’t put it into words.

He pressed his lips into Will’s, the kiss much longer and more passionate than the ones they had shared the other day. 

“I love you, Mike.”

“I love you more.”

“Not possible.”


End file.
